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Missing From Me
Summer, 1975
Daisy Nicolazzi is an overweight fifteen-year-old girl whose parents’ own the local Italian bakery. As she tries to wade through her emotional high school years at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, she understands all too well what it’s like to be an outcast. She knows what it’s like to be numb.
Jett Fontenot is the ten-year-old boy who moves in next door and he has a secret—he sees letters and numbers in specific colors and he can taste peoples’ names. He loves black and white movies, hates being touched, and is obsessed with blues singer Etta James. He, too, understands what it’s like to be an outcast. He, too, knows what it’s like to be numb, even though he is too young to understand it all.
Missing From Me is a coming of age story that tackles issues such as bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, and the neurological phenomenon, synesthesia.
How far would you go to be accepted? To be loved? What would you do to save a friend from themselves? And when does enough become enough?
Daisy Nicolazzi is an overweight fifteen-year-old girl whose parents’ own the local Italian bakery. As she tries to wade through her emotional high school years at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, she understands all too well what it’s like to be an outcast. She knows what it’s like to be numb.
Jett Fontenot is the ten-year-old boy who moves in next door and he has a secret—he sees letters and numbers in specific colors and he can taste peoples’ names. He loves black and white movies, hates being touched, and is obsessed with blues singer Etta James. He, too, understands what it’s like to be an outcast. He, too, knows what it’s like to be numb, even though he is too young to understand it all.
Missing From Me is a coming of age story that tackles issues such as bullying, self-harm, eating disorders, and the neurological phenomenon, synesthesia.
How far would you go to be accepted? To be loved? What would you do to save a friend from themselves? And when does enough become enough?
677 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2025
1 person is currently reading
About the author
Kathleen Stone
8 books83 followersKathleen has been a freelance writer since 1999. Her work has appeared in Doll World Magazine, Apolloslyre.com, The Lake County Journals, Trails.com; USA Today, Livestrong.com, Essortment, eHow, Answerbag, Examiner.com, Suite101 and YahooVoices. She is the author of Missing From Me, Heatherstone, the award-winning novels Hey Jude, Tell Me You Love Me and Whispers On A String, and the Head Case Rock Novel Series (Head Case, Whiplash and Haven). She also has short stories published in the Secrets: Fact or Fiction I & II anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 15, 2025
I have been in the biggest reading slump of my life but leave it to Kathleen to write a book that I actually finished this year.
I always get excited when I see a new book by Stone, and this was no exception. Usually I devour them in a matter of days, but this one actually took me quite a bit to finish. Not because it didn’t draw me in, but because it was so riveting and realistic I actually had to be careful about what headspace I was in when I decided to pick it up.
Stone does such an amazing job portraying a main character with a realistic eating disorder that I struggled at times to separate myself from Daisy. I am a heavier person and although I would not use the word triggered since I didn’t physically do anything, I would find myself mentally getting back into that unhealthy headspace when I read Daisy’s POV, which shows how vividly alive her character felt. So this is a sort of warning which is not at all any fault in the book but it can be difficult to read if you’ve struggled with an eating disorder.
But with all of that said, Daisy was my favorite character. I loved her story. I loved everyone’s growth and change in this book. Was it a tough read at times? Yes. Was it amazing and would I read it all over again in a heartbeat. Yes!
Stone does a fantastic job crafting real people and bringing them to life with her stories. This is just another book that cements how much I love her writing.
I always get excited when I see a new book by Stone, and this was no exception. Usually I devour them in a matter of days, but this one actually took me quite a bit to finish. Not because it didn’t draw me in, but because it was so riveting and realistic I actually had to be careful about what headspace I was in when I decided to pick it up.
Stone does such an amazing job portraying a main character with a realistic eating disorder that I struggled at times to separate myself from Daisy. I am a heavier person and although I would not use the word triggered since I didn’t physically do anything, I would find myself mentally getting back into that unhealthy headspace when I read Daisy’s POV, which shows how vividly alive her character felt. So this is a sort of warning which is not at all any fault in the book but it can be difficult to read if you’ve struggled with an eating disorder.
But with all of that said, Daisy was my favorite character. I loved her story. I loved everyone’s growth and change in this book. Was it a tough read at times? Yes. Was it amazing and would I read it all over again in a heartbeat. Yes!
Stone does a fantastic job crafting real people and bringing them to life with her stories. This is just another book that cements how much I love her writing.
November 19, 2025
It’s the summer of 1975, and fifteen-year-old Daisy Nicolazzi knows precisely how it feels to be a nobody. She’s overweight and no stranger to being the butt of her peers’ jokes. Just for once, Daisy wishes she knew what it felt like to be beautiful and accepted.
Jett Fontenot has recently moved next door to the Nicolazzis and has befriended Davy, Daisy’s little brother. He has quickly become a permanent fixture in the Nicolazzi home. They accept him wholeheartedly—his quirks and all. But that doesn’t stop Jett from feeling like a freak; he’s the only ten-year-old who tastes words and hates physical touch. If only Jett could be normal.
As Daisy and Jett form a special bond of their own, they navigate the uncharted waters of growing up—with all its joy, anguish, and heartbreak, searching for belonging. Will these two misfits find what they’re looking for?
Get the tissues ready. Missing from Me by Kathleen Stone is an emotionally charged coming-of-age novel with romance sprinkled throughout. At six hundred-plus pages, this epic saga follows Daisy and Jett (and their families) spanning nearly ten years, highlighting various topics such as bullying, eating disorders, jealousy, feuds, and unrequited love. Stone excels at creating a cozy, small-town feel, with a stunning soundtrack featuring popular crooners of the time that evokes nostalgia.
The presence of memorable, vibrant characters is the backbone of this masterpiece. Beyond Daisy and Jett (we’ll gush about them later), the supporting cast never disappointed. Whether you rooted for their success or prayed they’d meet their quick demise, there was never a dull moment with this motley crew of personalities. With his big heart and fiercely protective nature, little Davy Nicolazzi wasn’t afraid to stand up to anyone who dared cross Daisy or Jett. In their youth, Davy was definitely the glue that held the friends together. Mr. Nicolazzi is hard-working, strict, but a teddy bear at heart. He was the reason the Nicolazzi bakery flourished and instilled in his kids the importance of family above all else. There’s also Daisy’s insufferable cousin, Bianca, who used her beauty and popularity to hurt Daisy, and Tug, Daisy’s on-again-off-again boyfriend, who caused conflicting feelings.
Now for Daisy and Jett—two highly complex characters who embedded themselves into my heart. It’s rare that I resonate so completely with two characters at once. Still, it was as if the author had taken my experiences and applied them to Daisy and Jett. Between the plight of being an overweight teen and struggling with personality quirks and oddities, I felt completely seen through Stone’s writing. Beyond the comforting solidarity, experiencing the pair’s friendship evolve over the years was captivating, from their inside jokes and impenetrable loyalty to the spark that surprised them both, their deep connection never wavered.
Missing from Me will appeal to readers who love delving into character-driven sagas that focus on friendship and self-discovery. If you’re someone (like me) who roots for the underdog and celebrates diversity, Kathleen Stone’s writing will reel you in.
Jett Fontenot has recently moved next door to the Nicolazzis and has befriended Davy, Daisy’s little brother. He has quickly become a permanent fixture in the Nicolazzi home. They accept him wholeheartedly—his quirks and all. But that doesn’t stop Jett from feeling like a freak; he’s the only ten-year-old who tastes words and hates physical touch. If only Jett could be normal.
As Daisy and Jett form a special bond of their own, they navigate the uncharted waters of growing up—with all its joy, anguish, and heartbreak, searching for belonging. Will these two misfits find what they’re looking for?
Get the tissues ready. Missing from Me by Kathleen Stone is an emotionally charged coming-of-age novel with romance sprinkled throughout. At six hundred-plus pages, this epic saga follows Daisy and Jett (and their families) spanning nearly ten years, highlighting various topics such as bullying, eating disorders, jealousy, feuds, and unrequited love. Stone excels at creating a cozy, small-town feel, with a stunning soundtrack featuring popular crooners of the time that evokes nostalgia.
The presence of memorable, vibrant characters is the backbone of this masterpiece. Beyond Daisy and Jett (we’ll gush about them later), the supporting cast never disappointed. Whether you rooted for their success or prayed they’d meet their quick demise, there was never a dull moment with this motley crew of personalities. With his big heart and fiercely protective nature, little Davy Nicolazzi wasn’t afraid to stand up to anyone who dared cross Daisy or Jett. In their youth, Davy was definitely the glue that held the friends together. Mr. Nicolazzi is hard-working, strict, but a teddy bear at heart. He was the reason the Nicolazzi bakery flourished and instilled in his kids the importance of family above all else. There’s also Daisy’s insufferable cousin, Bianca, who used her beauty and popularity to hurt Daisy, and Tug, Daisy’s on-again-off-again boyfriend, who caused conflicting feelings.
Now for Daisy and Jett—two highly complex characters who embedded themselves into my heart. It’s rare that I resonate so completely with two characters at once. Still, it was as if the author had taken my experiences and applied them to Daisy and Jett. Between the plight of being an overweight teen and struggling with personality quirks and oddities, I felt completely seen through Stone’s writing. Beyond the comforting solidarity, experiencing the pair’s friendship evolve over the years was captivating, from their inside jokes and impenetrable loyalty to the spark that surprised them both, their deep connection never wavered.
Missing from Me will appeal to readers who love delving into character-driven sagas that focus on friendship and self-discovery. If you’re someone (like me) who roots for the underdog and celebrates diversity, Kathleen Stone’s writing will reel you in.
August 29, 2025
This is a wonderful book based on 3 characters (Daisy, her brother David, and their neighbor/friend Jett), their family, friends, classmates.
It follows them over several years. There are so many twists, turns, and growing up. Daisy has body image issues and starves herself at times. David his very social and out going. He's a talented drummer and gets the chance of a lifetime while in high school to play for a famous singer. Jett has issues with tasting names and seeing letters in a specific color. His mom and step dad move next door to daisy and David. They all become fast friends.
There are many side characters that you love, hate, and love again. The character development for everyone is amazing. The growth of some are more delayed than others. In the end family is important and that friends are like family.
I highly recommend this book
It follows them over several years. There are so many twists, turns, and growing up. Daisy has body image issues and starves herself at times. David his very social and out going. He's a talented drummer and gets the chance of a lifetime while in high school to play for a famous singer. Jett has issues with tasting names and seeing letters in a specific color. His mom and step dad move next door to daisy and David. They all become fast friends.
There are many side characters that you love, hate, and love again. The character development for everyone is amazing. The growth of some are more delayed than others. In the end family is important and that friends are like family.
I highly recommend this book
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews